With China’s being the host for the G-20 for the first time since the summit was first held in 2008, the regime has been pulling out all the stops to roll out the red carpet for dignitaries coming from around the world. And local citizens have been paying the price.
The G-20 will be held on Sept. 4 and 5 in Hangzhou, the capital and largest city in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, and authorities have imposed “martial law-like” conditions.
“Here it is like martial law in Hangzhou. Helicopters fly over the roof every five minutes. Tanks and armored vehicles are seen outside a conference center,” said Mr. Fan, a resident of the city, in an interview with the New York-based New Tang Dynasty TV on Aug. 19. “There is like a check post every 50 meters and you need to show your ID, and people from out of town need to have a temporary document that permits them to stay.”
The G-20, or Group of Twenty, is a financial forum for 19 countries and the European Union. This year, U.S. President Barack Obama will be attending the summit, marking his third visit to China as president.
Mr. Fan added, “Many hotels are closed for business because they have been taken over by police and the special police.”
Nearly two months ago, local police officers saw an upgrade in their firepower. Chinese news portal Sohu reported that in the Xiaoshan District in Hangzhou, police were handed new military rifles, semi-automatic crossbows, and anti-drone rifles. Photos of tanks and armored vehicles in the city have been appearing on China’s social media in recent days.
This is not the first time that the Chinese authorities have adopted draconian measures in preparation for international events.
The most well-known case was the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Some locals felt the measures were unbearable. Companies encouraged employees to leave the city, and citizens were made to sign documents promising that they would behave. Now, citizens in Hangzhou are feeling the crunch of the security measures.
